Vertebral body lesions often require tissue diagnosis to guide appropriate treatment. Transpedicular biopsy provides a minimally invasive approach to obtaining diagnostic tissue through a percutaneous needle guided through the pedicle into the vertebral body. This technique allows for the sampling of bone or soft tissue lesions while avoiding the morbidity associated with open surgical biopsy, providing critical diagnostic information with minimal patient discomfort.
Robotic-assisted transpedicular biopsy significantly enhances the accuracy and safety of this diagnostic procedure. After prone positioning, the robotic system is registered to the patient's anatomy using intraoperative imaging. A detailed 3D map is created, allowing the surgeon to plan the optimal trajectory to the lesion while avoiding critical structures. Through a small skin incision, the robotic arm guides the placement of a Jamshidi needle precisely along the planned path through the pedicle and into the target lesion. This exceptional accuracy potentially increases diagnostic yield by ensuring the needle reaches the core of the lesion rather than peripheral tissue.
The precision of robotically guided needle placement is particularly valuable for small lesions or those in challenging locations such as the upper thoracic spine, potentially reducing the need for repeat procedures while providing crucial diagnostic information to guide subsequent treatment.
